A large-scale scheme of illegal use of land contaminated with radiation as a result of the Chernobyl accident has been exposed in the Zhytomyr region. The village head, who together with his accomplices, leased over 1,700 hectares of hazardous areas for use, is involved in organizing the criminal transaction.
According to the investigation, in 2021, an official, in collusion with a land manager and the heads of four farming enterprises, illegally leased 1,790 hectares of land subject to restrictions on use. At the same time, the authority to dispose of such plots lies exclusively with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Farmers grew crops on these lands and sold the harvest, including to bread factories. Experts estimated the state's losses in 2021 at more than 4.9 million hryvnias.
In addition, the director of one of the enterprises, together with a former village council member and the head of another company, grew almost 365 tons of sunflowers with a total value of over 6.6 million hryvnias. They exported the crop from the resettlement zone and sold it on the domestic market.
The village head and three company managers have been charged with conspiracy, illegal land acquisition, and abuse of power, which has led to serious consequences. Several other participants in the scheme are charged with misappropriation of property, money laundering, and violation of radiation safety requirements.
The issue of imposing preventive measures on the defendants and seizing their property in order to compensate the state for losses is currently being resolved.
